Plunger-operating means for washing-machines.



I. w, JACKSON,I VPLIINGEII OPERATING NII-iANs FOR wAsIIING MACHINES. APPLICATION fILEn MAvzI, I9'I4.

' 1 ,15 1 ,3.62. Patelllted Aug. 24, 1915.

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' UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

JOHN W. JACKSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, EILLINOIS.

PLUNGER-QPEATING MEANS FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

` y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ail". 24. 1915.

Continuation of application Serial No. 735,210, led December 6, 1912. This application filed May 21, 1914.

Serial No. 839,993. l

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plonger-Operating Means for Washing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.v

This invention relates to `washing machines, and more particularly, to plunger operating mechanism therefor. Q

This application Lis a continuation of my c'o-pending application, Serial No. 735,210, tiled December G, 1912, as to subyect matter, which is common to the two applications.

The objects of this invention are, to proi vide plunger operating mechanism for Washing machines, which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, simple, effective,

and easy in its operation,`and which is not liable to get out of repair.

Further objects 'will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through av washing machine container, showing the plunger operating mechanism in elevation, Fig. :2 is a section on the iine -JZ, Fig. 1, showing the mechanism in elevation, Fig. 3 is a section onr the line 3 3, Fi g. 1, and, Fig.

4 is a detailsection on the line 4 4, Figfl..

Referring tothe accompanying drawing, 10 designates a container adapted to receive water and the clothes to be washed, provided with a cover 11 and a suitable plunger12, as described in the application referred to. The plunger 12 has a plunger rod 13 guided by a bearing sleeve 14. secured to and projecting from the under side of the cover.

A. bracket 15 of U-shaped form has spaceL legs or uprights 16 and 17, provided with feet 18 resting on the cover 11 and secured thereto by bolts 19. The yoke of this bracket is provided with a boss E20 which supports and guides the end of the plungeirod projecting through the cover.

i' A bearing bracket 25 is mounted on the cov-er near its edge, and supports one end of a drive shaft Q6, the other end of which is supported by a boss Z'ion the upright 17. One end of t-lie shaft is provided with'a crank 2S, and the other end has fixed thereto a large gear 29, meshing with a pinion 130, fixed to a shaft 31, mounted in a boss 32 on the upright 17 and held against endwise s movement by nuts 33. A-crank 34, fined to the shaft 31 and the pinion 30, has a crank pin 35 connected to one end of a pitman 36, Y

the other end of which is connected, by a plunger rod 13 has a handle 50 at its upper end, whereby the plunger may be raised and lowered, anda set screw'51 is p rovidedfor clamping the plunger in vany desired position. Rotation of the shaft 2G, through the cra-nk 28, will cause reciprocation of the plunger. In view of the ratio of the gears 2S) and B0, a single-rotation of the shaft Q6 will cause a plurality of reciprocations of the plunger. Now, it is found, in practice, that, if the sleeve 38 is rigidly connected to the plunger, there are certain points in the revolution of the shaft, especiallyv at the point where the crank :28 is raised, where the leverage of the operators arm is not suiiiclent to conveniently and easily move the plunger, as this plunger comes down on the clothes. It is for this purpose that the yielding connection between the crank and the `plunger is provided. During the point in the rotation of the crank to which I have referred, and which we may call the dead center with respect to the operator, and as the plunger moves down on the clothes, thc lower spring 45 will yield so as to permit the crank to be turned over the dea-d center. It has been foundv by actual experience that this will accomplish the result desired. Moreover, the presence of these springs secures an eflicient and easy operation. The sleeves can be clamped in any adjusted po-l sition by the adjustment of a single screw 44, as' these sleeves will move as a unit and carry the sleeve 3S with them. The plunger can be locked in any desired position vertically by the set screw 51, which is often desired where the coi'cr has'to be opened. guiding;r the plunger'rod both by a bearing on the cover and a yoke on the bracket, no side strain is throwiion the plunger rod,

ipo

.2 memes and easy operation is obtained. lin View of he fact that the brackei must be connected lwith the sheet n'ietai cover, Where :i stress is y liable totem' 'out the rivets oi' bolts, the

bracket is of U-shaped construction so aS-to 5 divide and equalize'hestmin. .f

Itjisobvious that various changes muy be made in detais of'constrnetion without departing from 'th spirit oft-'nis invenion,

l und it isrthefore,- to be undersood that,

this invention" is not tobe limited to' the specific construction shown and described.

yHaving thus described the nvernsion7 what is. claimed is:

1. Pllunger operating means for Washing l. 'L '3 l 2.P1unger operating means for Washing -machines comprising. support, a plonger' rod sustained thereon, a dmven'shaft mount- .,ed on the support and havingaJ ci'ank,menns piunger iod and 'yieidabiy connecting ,said czrzink with the pungei rod for i'eciprocating the hitter, u drive slisft, and operative connections be- 'tween the drive shaft und driven shaft.

plunger operating means vfor Washing machines compifising a spport, a piunger rod mounted inv guides on'tie support, a. drii'fenl shaft; mounted on Vthe support'zmd provided with :i crank, a movable 'bearing l on die punger rod engaged with said crank, springs yieldaby sustaining said bearing,

and Ineans for operating the driven shaft.

` 4. Plonger operating :neernsvfor washing- .mnclnnes, compiising, s. bracket, a plunger rod guided vby said becket, spaced sleeves en said plunger rod; s' yoke conneeting Said sleeves, means foi.' (,:onneeisinglscefsleeves with said punger sod, a we loose on` said positioned between 'said fissisleeves, spi'ings between .soie sleeves,

v.and a crank connecced io 'i'eeipioczite said ioose sleeves.

in testimony wiiereol affix my signature' in the presence' 'of these two Witnesses.' A n JOHN NV. JACKSON. Witnesses: v l T.7 JJ CoNDoX,

VioLA R. SNIGG, 

